Well a new cover is one of them. From out of nowhere I decided to redo the cover for Evening Star. This book came to my attention because I began January with a -1 on my Amazon page showing sales. It happened because this business of taking my books and asking for refunds bought Evening Star struck again. December 27 or 28th the book was bought... The refund request must have come within the 7 days and just as the new year began. It made me laugh as what a beginning to a year. Fortunately sales soon erased it.
The cover had had a man on it with a rather dreamy expression in his eyes. It did fit the hero. The story of Evening Star is not told from his perspective. It's the only full length novel where the point of view stays with the heroine and villain (yes, the villain). You see the hero only through their eyes; but it is sooooo much about him.
Wanting a change for the book that had come out early in 2012, I looked through the images I had purchased. The above one seemed to do the job best in showing the doubts each of them have for this relationship into which they have entered. I set the backdrop as the city of Portland along with the evening star (actually Venus) and a crescent moon.
Incidentally, I have read it's good to change covers now and again, but I won't do it for that reason. I do it because I've come up with a better way to showcase the story.
That's when I got into something I also hadn't expected. When I knew I'd be resubmitting the book to get the new cover, I thought I should look at the text. This is something a non-writer probably won't understand but a painter would. I didn't see mistakes in the book or places I goofed up but rather where I could upgrade my story by cutting words or rephrasing.
When I am writing a lot, as I have been in the last few years (I have gone through spurts where sculpture was more to me or painting but always writing is there), I am constantly getting better. I am a better writer today than two years ago and will be better yet in two more years. It is how it is and it's also why I tell those who want to write-- do it. Do it and more will come.
So I began to look at the text and yes, I saw places I could sharpen it. Since I was resubmitting anyway, I went through the whole book. There would be long sections where nothing could be improved. When I saw where it could be, I did before sending it off to Amazon.
In the last two months I have looked through two of my books (both published early in 2012) for that kind of upgrading. For anybody who doesn't like it that eBooks are organic that way, they probably also don't understand how a painter can look at their painting on the wall, and think-- that corner bothers me and set out to change it. It is the creative process which is also organic at least in my experience. (The only time I can't do it is with my fired clay sculptures. I'll still though look at an arm and wish I'd made it shorter but there is no tweaking them).
For anyone who bought this book before January, you can go to your manage your Kindle and request an update. I doubt you will see much difference as the changes are not to the basic story or really even major ones.
I am so into this being 2014 with new opportunities. Always there are chances to learn, to take new challenges. I am happy to find this is still true at 70 :)
our Tucson backyard looking toward Pusch Ridge
